One lane of Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway reopens Dec. 24 –

The Enugu State Government says it will reopen one lane of the Enugu-Portharcourt expressway collapsed bridge for use by December 24.

Mr Gerald Otiji, the State Commissioner for Works, disclosed this while briefing newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House, Enugu on Friday.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, on November 9, announced that the Federal Government would commence the reconstruction work on the collapsed bridge.

Mbah said the reconstruction would begin with palliative work on the one lane of the bridge that was standing to ensure it was ready for use within the next 10 days.

Otiji said the Artisan Cattle Market Bridge is being reconstructed by the Federal Ministry of Work in collaboration with the Enugu State Ministry of Works.

“With this, we can direct all the trucks to ply the road instead of coming into the state capital. We are also having a traffic management team that will help to control traffic in the state,” he said.

On water supply, the Commissioner urged Enugu people to be patient with the government, pledging that it would do everything possible to ensure that water returned to their taps.

Otiji blamed the stoppage in water reticulation on damage and busted pipes and apologized for any inconveniences the burst pipe might cause to the residents.

He explained that the pipes being excavated were the ones laid by Dr Michael Okpara, the Premier of the South-East region about 50 years ago.

While urging the people of the state to appreciate what they were doing, Otiji called on them to report any busted water line to the Ministry of Water Resources.

The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aka Eze Aka, added that busted pipes were an indication that the place needed work to be done and for them to know where old pipes were for replacement.

“The work is ongoing and we want people to know that the government is on it,” Aka said. (NAN)